


Breakthrough

by orphan_account



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - Never Met, Alternate Universe - No Girlfriends/No Wives, Clubbing, Drinking, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:40:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22995589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A guy walks into a bar. Someone catches his eye. His brain doesn't condone this behavior, but his heart doesn't care.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	1. One

Rhett McLaughlin doesn’t do love. He has spent the last 16 years living his best life with his adoptive dog Barbara, his crazy best friend Stevie, and a well paying job at the biggest doggy daycare in the state of California. He doesn’t need the stress and usual heartbreak that comes with a relationship. He’s perfectly happy with his life.

Which is why he is sitting on his couch, crying around a spoonful of ice cream as he watches  _ All Dogs Go to Heaven  _ with Barbara sleeping soundly in his lap. He doesn’t know why he does this or how it has become his nightly routine. He never really questions it.

Just when Charlie and Itchy are about to meet Anne-Marie, Rhett’s phone rings loudly from the couch cushion next to him and his tub of ice cream goes flying onto the floor, along with his flurried dog who yips and flees from Rhett’s lap.

“Oh, my  _ God _ ,” Rhett whispers to himself, a hand clutching his chest from the startle of it all as he reaches for his deafening phone to which he can’t figure out how to adjust the volume. He hits answer and switches it to speaker. “Hello?”

“Hi!” Stevie’s cheerful and honestly  _ too _ exuberant voice sounds through the phone, and Rhett loves his best friend, he really does, but she could not have picked a worse time to call than this exact moment in time.

“Hey,” Rhett says, and sniffles, because the movie is still playing on his TV and he is still affected by the first 20 minutes of it. “What’s up?”

“Please tell me you’re not crying over a gigantic bucket of ice cream and watching a depressing movie about dogs,” Stevie chides, promptly ignoring Rhett’s attempt at conversation and Rhett stares at the _adequately sized_ bucket of ice cream on the floor. Barbara is licking the spoon and he doesn’t have the energy to stop her. It’s strawberry flavored, it’s healthy, she’ll be fine.

“No, I’m definitely not,” Rhett replies through a puff of air, pausing the depressing dog movie and throwing himself back against the couch. “Why are you calling?”

“Right! So,” Stevie begins and Rhett’s already growing testy. “I’m going to this new gay club that opened downtown…”

“No,” Rhett interjects and he hears Stevie groan on the other line. “I have to work tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow is Saturday. Come  _ on _ ,” Stevie coaxes, and Rhett can tell she’s pouting and giving puppy dog eyes to the phone. “I don’t want to go alone. You need to get laid.”

“Okay, what?” Rhett asks. “First of all, I’m not your only friend. Second of all, no I don’t. I’m perfectly content with my life.”

“Then explain why every night you go through your freezer full of 50 tubs of ice cream, pick a flavor that fits your mood, then find a sad movie that makes you cry,” Stevie questions. Rhett hears the familiar jingle of her car keys over the phone. “Tell me this, Rhett. What flavor suited your mood tonight?”

“Strawberry…” Rhett mumbles in defeat, knitting his eyebrows together and pursing his lips. He casts his eyes down to where Barbara was and who has now somehow fell back asleep in her dog bed. Rhett picks up the fallen tub of ice cream and notes how it’s half as empty as it was before. Okay, maybe no more treats for a few days.

“Strawberry? Perfect, you’re already feeling fruity,” Stevie declares after she presumably shuts her front door and Rhett can’t stop the laugh that bubbles from his chest. Stevie joins in, her own cackle overpowering Rhett’s decreasing chuckles. “I’m hilarious.”

“That was just a pity laugh,” Rhett jokes. He grabs his phone from the couch and turns off the speaker mode, nestling it in between his shoulder and his ear. He hears some shuffling and then the sound of an engine starting.

“So, will you come?” Stevie asks and Rhett begins to consider it as he glances at the clock that reads 9:03pm. He carries ice cream container and spoon to the kitchen, tossing the spoon in the sink and placing the lidless ice cream back in the freezer.

“Fine.” Rhett gives in because he does agree he needs to live a little. “But just for you. I’m not gonna hook up or anything.”

“Wow, Rhett, I’m flattered, but we’re both gay,” Stevie replies playfully, and Rhett stiffens. “I’ll be at your house in 20 minutes. Dress nice.”

Rhett wordlessly hangs up and suddenly feels a little nauseous. That's right, he's gay, but he’s not out to anyone except for Stevie and his coworkers.

“ _ Shit _ ,” he curses because he’s about to out himself to everyone at this club that they’re going to and Rhett isn’t sure if he’s quite ready for that.

“Come on, man. You’re forty-two.”

He does this a lot. He gives himself pep talks to help motivate himself because he realizes his dog doesn’t really care enough to help him out.

“You’re forty- _ two _ !” He repeats on his way to his bedroom, smiling to himself when he hears the patter of puppy feet behind him. Barbara may not really give a fuck about anything but food, but she is good company. Rhett walks into his closet full of mostly fun-printed, colorful short sleeve button downs. He has a few pairs of khakis and white pants, black skinny jeans, and blue ones too. Stevie said to dress nice and that’s one thing that Rhett is superb at, having one of the stylish wardrobes in his opinion.

He studies his collection of button down shirts and finally chooses a black one with white birds printed on it. He personally thinks it hugs his torso perfectly and makes him look fit. He pairs the shirt with some khakis that are too tight but too fitting to pass up. He leans down to grab his pair of black dress boots and strolls back into his bedroom to set them down.

He doesn’t do much to his hair anymore. He’s been letting it grow and do its own thing along with his beard, but tonight he decides to slick it back with some pomade and lather his beard with some oil. He grabs his favorite cologne, one that Stevie gets him every year for Christmas, and spritzes some onto his neck. After Rhett freshens up and makes himself look nice, he stares at himself in the mirror and takes a few deep breaths. He hasn’t done anything like this in years and he tries to prepare himself for what’s to come.

Rhett hears the obnoxious honk of the horn that Stevie had installed to her car years before and with one last look into the mirror, Rhett is slipping into his shoes and is on his merry way to potentially the craziest night he has had in awhile. 

  
  
  


“You look nice,” Stevie compliments once they’ve arrived at the club, an exclusive little building hidden right in the middle of downtown Los Angeles. Rhett squints up at the bright, neon pink sign above the entrance of the nightclub that reads  _ VELVET HIDEAWAY.  _ Huh, what a weird name.

“Yeah, well,” Rhett breaths out, stuffing his hands into the deep pockets of his khakis with a shrug. “You told me to.”

Stevie hums and they make their way towards the bouncer, who stands with his arms crossed over his chest.

“ID, madam?” the doorman asks Stevie and Rhett sneaks a peek inside the club. The raucous music is vibrating the ground beneath him and his ears are already ringing.

The bouncer clears his throat and Rhett comically shakes out of his thoughts. He glances at the bouncer who’s raising an expectant eyebrow and Rhett’s gaze wanders down to the man’s extended hand. “ID.”

“Oh! Yeah. Sorry,” Rhett stammers, fumbling for his wallet that’s hidden in his back pocket. Once he retrieves it, he pulls out his ID and hands it over to the other man. He uses his flashlight to illuminate the card.

“Ooh…” the bouncer murmurs, looking up at Rhett with a smirk and Rhett narrows his eyes. “Six foot seven, huh? Why don’t you hit me up later, big guy?”

The blonde blushes furiously, lowering his head to hide his reddening cheeks. He reclaims his ID and stumbles into the nightclub with Stevie giggling behind him.

“Oh my God, dude,” she laughs, a hand gripping Rhett’s shoulder. Rhett pouts and shrugs her hand away. “You got so embarrassed. You need to loosen up because there’s more where that came from.”

“Gosh,” Rhett whispers to himself. He finally gets a good look at the interior of the place. There’s a large dance floor that changes from neon pink, to blue, to purple. People from different genders, colors, and statures are tangled with each other, dancing to a song that Rhett recognizes to be  [ _ Piece Of Your Heart _ ](https://youtu.be/KWjV25q34Hw) by MEDUZA.

Encircling the dance floor, there’s a seemingly never ending loop of booths with tables emanating the same neon lights as the dance floor. Atop each table are glasses in stacks of four and bottles of various adult beverages.

In the corner, there’s a bar with alcohol arrayed on the wall behind the bartender, and that’s where Rhett wants to head first. He goes to nudge Stevie, but there’s nothing but air next to him. Immediately, there’s fear tightening in his chest at the feeling of being alone in such a feral environment and he wants to up and leave.

With a shaky inhale, Rhett reminds himself that he’s 42 and he can do this alone. Determined, he trudges over to the bar and plops himself down onto a stool. Once sitting down, it dawns on Rhett that he hasn’t ordered anything alcoholic in years, so he and the bartender are just staring at each other while Rhett struggles to prevent any further embarrassment.

“Negroni?” the bartender finally asks.

“Sounds good,” Rhett replies with a curt nod, shooting the man a grin before quickly averting his gaze. He somehow knows the Negroni is one of the ‘favorite beverages’ of bartenders around the world.

Seconds later, the bartender is sliding the drink Rhett’s way across the surface and Rhett catches it, only a little spilling onto the wood. He offers another sheepish smile to the bartender, mumbling his thanks before taking a sip of his drink. He turns his body towards the crowd of dancing people, peering at the entwined bodies over the rim of his glass. He lowers his beverage and he meets eyes with a man around his age. It’s too dark to take in his features, but he can see the glint of the neon lights reflecting from his thick framed glasses.

He watches the man smirk at Rhett from across the bar before getting lost in the crowd. Rhett can’t stop the unwanted blush that colors his cheeks and he takes another sip of the Negroni to calm himself down.

“Wow, you are pitiful.”

Rhett jumps in his seat and curses when droplets of his alcohol splatter onto his khakis. He whips his head to see where the insult came from and finds Stevie sitting on the stool next to him. “When did you get there?!”

“A few seconds ago. I witnessed that whole thing and I think you should introduce yourself,” Stevie suggests, gesturing to where the man once was and Rhett snorts into his glass.

“Absolutely not. I didn’t come here to meet anyone,” Rhett refuses, finishing the last of his drink and turning his back towards the crowd. He gently slams his empty glass onto the bar and calls for the tapster once more. “Another Negroni, please.”

“Pitiful,” Stevie repeats, scornful. She hops up from her stool, places her hands on her hips, and suddenly Rhett feels like a child being scolded. “When I come back, I better not see you here. Mingle. Find someone. Hook up in the bathroom for all I care, just _ do something _ .”

Rhett sighs as Stevie stomps away and he slides a twenty across the table, exchanging it for the drink from the barkeep. Rhett looks up and sees the man giving him a sympathetic smile.

“I wouldn’t hook up in the bathrooms,” he advises, looking appalled. “Filthy in there.” 

The man turns away and Rhett’s cheeks flush. He sets his glass down and runs a hand through his styled hair, cringing at the feeling of gel coating his hair and fingers.

Then Rhett feels a precipitous presence sneak up behind him and he tenses. He glances at the bartender for help or something, but he’s with another customer.

“Dance with me,” a deep, southern drawl demands in his ear and Rhett feels goosebumps form on his skin. He inhales, his breath faltering, and he starts to rotate in his stool.

“Look, man, I–”

Rhett stops dead in his tracks when his eyes land on the man from across the bar earlier. The same man who was staring and smiling at Rhett for 5 seconds too long. The blonde fixates on the man’s eyes behind those lenses, icy blue. Suggestive and alluring. Before Rhett’s gaze can wander to this exquisite man’s lips, he’s talking in one of the most sultry tones Rhett has ever heard.

“Cat got your tongue? Like what you see?” he asks, shimmying a little as he grins at Rhett. Rhett’s flicks his eyes down to the man’s hips.

“Yeah,” he replies dumbly, stare unmoving.

“Wanna take up my offer?”

“Wha–?”

“Dance with me,” the man says again, stepping closer, and Rhett gets another good look at him. His hair is styled neatly, a salt and pepper quaff parted to the side. Rhett can’t seem to form words, much less thoughts.

“I should actually…” Rhett eventually says, uncertain as he glances around the room, but the other man cuts him off. 

“You just got here,” he says and Rhett begins to wonder exactly how long he was being watched. Before Rhett can decline the offer again, he finally sneaks a peek at the man’s lips and he instinctively licks his own. With another smirk, the man says, “Let me show you a good time.”

  
  
  


Rhett should really learn to say no.


	2. Two

2 Negroni’s later and Rhett can’t tell if it’s his heart or the music that’s thumping in his chest so rapidly. He’s pushed up against this wall by a stranger who’s a head shorter than him. A stranger who doesn’t even know his name. A stranger who Rhett doesn’t even know the name of…

“You never told me your name,” Rhett shouts to be heard over the blaring music, and the man winces and asks Rhett to lower his voice. The taller man rolls his eyes.

“You can call me Link,” the guy, Link, murmurs too close to Rhett’s ear. His low voice raises chills to Rhett’s skin and he shudders. He hopes to God Stevie can’t see him because he would never live down the embarrassment.

“Alright, Link, I’m Rhett. You were gonna show me a good time?” Rhett asks, and the overly attractive man gives that same smirk he did from across the room. Without a word, Link grabs Rhett by the hips and shoves him further against the wall. He presses his own hips against Rhett’s and they both gasp.

“Rhett… I’ll show you a good time,” he rasps, tongue lolling out to kitten lick at Rhett’s ear. “You trust me?”

“No,” Rhett replies instantly, snorting a laugh. Their height difference is perfect enough for Rhett to wrap his arms around Link’s shoulder, so he does exactly that. “I don’t trust people. Especially people who I’ve just met.”

Link’s shoulders bounce underneath Rhett’s arms and he peers down to see the man laughing. He’s laughing and it’s the most beautiful thing Rhett has ever witnessed. Link’s blue, nearly black with lust eyes are crinkled near the edges and his magnificent tongue in teeth smile stretches from ear to ear.

“Hypothetical. Hypothetically speaking,” Link affirms, the same lopsided grin not leaving his lips. He removes a hand from Rhett’s hips to adjust his glasses, pushing them up the bridge of his nose with his index finger, before settling it back on Rhett’s hip. For a second, Rhett feels like that’s where Link’s hands belong. The grip on Rhett’s hips tighten and he stiffens. “Let me reword it. Do you believe I’ll show you a good time tonight?”

Link’s breath against Rhett’s ear and grasp on his hips pretty much confirms that this man could cut off one of Rhett’s toes and Rhett would still be full of delight, and he hopes a nod is enough to answer him.

“Perfect,” Link smirks, a hint of teeth still showing through the smile. The lights go down and the song ends. Somehow, Link’s eyes still shine in the darkness and Rhett can’t look away.

Suddenly, everyone is under red lighting and the melodic piano intro to Rihanna’s [_What Now_](https://youtu.be/DcQgByi9jIc) is playing through the speakers. It’s a weird remix of the song, one the DJ probably found off of YouTube, but Rhett is instantly smiling down at Link.

“I love Rihanna,” he says, can’t contain the joy of hearing his imaginary wife’s music playing in this club. Link nods slightly, thumb dipping under Rhett’s shirt and rubbing gentle circles onto the fleshy part of his hip. Rhett’s body sways to the euphonious song and he encourages Link to join him by grabbing his forearm and tugging gently. “Come dance with me? Like, actual dancing?”

“I’d love to.”

Rhett lets out the smallest, softest of giggles and guides Link towards the middle of the dance floor by his wrist. Now, Rhett never took himself to be a lightweight drinker, but the only logical explanation he can think of as to why he’s slow dancing with a stranger he met 15 minutes ago is because he’s drunk. Has to be. There’s no way sober Rhett would let a stranger from a club catch his attention and steal his heart so quickly…

Right?

“Hey, handsome, you okay?” Link asks, waving a hand in front of Rhett’s face. The blonde’s vision blurs as it tries to focus on Link’s swaying hand and he blinks a few times before grinning dopily at the shorter man.

“Yes. Zoned out,” Rhett replies as he wraps his arms around Link’s shoulders once more. Link’s hands are back on Rhett’s waist and their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces. Their bodies sway in unison to the melodic piano playing around them, enveloping them, and Rhett’s heart flutters when Link takes a step closer and rests his head against the blonde’s shoulder.

“You know, Rhett, I’ve never slow danced before,” Link begins and Rhett snorts above him. He’s too good to have never done it before. Link huffs a laugh. “At a club, I mean. Clubs are usually for… Grinding and such.”

“Grinding and such,” Rhett repeats with a giggle, stumbling a little when his giggling turns into a full blown belly laugh. He has to grasp onto Link’s shoulders to balance himself as he doubles over in laughter. “Sounds like a… Like a… One of those Dummies books.” Rhett wipes a fallen tear from his cheeks and looks down at Link who is smiling up at him, his pearly whites nearly blinding Rhett. The smile almost looks fond and he narrows his eyes. “I need another drink.”

Link chuckles and steps away from Rhett, nodding towards the bar. “You go get another drink, I’m going to head to the bathroom. Sound good?”

“Mm,” Rhett hums, too focused on the way the man’s hair wobbles with the movement to hear what he was saying. He agrees anyway, unable to stop himself from reaching towards Link’s salt-and-pepper hair and running his fingers through it gently. The gasp and sigh the smaller man releases has something coiling in Rhett’s tummy and he pulls back quickly. “Um. Sorry. Going to the bar, you coming?”

They both blush at the phrasing and Link clears his throat. “No, I said I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll meet you there.”

Words die on Rhett’s lips as he watches Link turn away and scurry towards the restrooms. Rhett pouts a little, confusion grazing his features. He looks around and meets eyes with Stevie, who is sat at a table with girls and one on her lap, and she mouths, _ “What happened?” _ Rhett shrugs in her general direction because, honestly, he has no idea.

He shrugs again, because none of this really matters. He’s having a one night stand with this club, and anything that happens here, stays here. With one last glance towards the restrooms, Rhett makes his way towards the bar. He clumsily squeezes past couples, throuples, quadruples, who are getting it on on the dance floor to a song that Rhett has never heard in his life and finally reaches his destination. He settles onto a stool and shoots a smile to the bartender. “Hi.”

“Here’s a Negroni,” the guy says, sliding the beverage across the surface towards Rhett. He raises an eyebrow at the tender.

“Were you watching me?” Rhett asks, grabbing the beverage and nearly downing it in one go. Some droplets dribble into his beard and he grabs a napkin.

“A little. Listen, man… That Link guy you’re hanging out with? No good,” the bartender says and Rhett finally glances at his nametag. The letters are blurry and all blend together.

“Kevin?”

“Kyle. Did you even hear what I said, man?” Kyle asks, raising an eyebrow. Rhett flushes. “I said you shouldn’t trust that Link guy.”

Before Rhett can reply, Kyle is grabbing the empty glass and turning back to his work station. 

“What do you mean?” Rhett yells to be heard, and Kyle doesn’t reply until he’s back in front of Rhett with a fresh drink. “I really shouldn’t have-”

“You’re gonna need it,” Kyle insists, thrusting the glass into Rhett’s clasped hands. In any other circumstance, Rhett would be suspicious of a man getting him to have multiple drinks against his will, but Kyle seems to have good intentions. Plus, the drink is damn good. 

Rhett grabs a mini black straw from a metal, cylindrical container and plops it into his drink, “Go on.”

“Link is a regular here,” Kyle begins, and Rhett nods because he figured that much. When he first saw Link, he had countless people of differing genders surrounding him. Some twirling their finger in their hair or feeling up his… impressive muscles, trying to get Link’s attention, but all his focus was on Rhett. A tightening in his chest proved that Rhett was in trouble and he takes a sip from his drink.

“Yeah? So are l-lots of people,” he hiccups, drumming his fingers against his glass. Kyle sighs, scans over the empty barstools, and leans against the counter towards Rhett.

“I’ve seen him take home a different person each night,” Kyle mumbles, voice low and inaudible to everyone but Rhett. Rhett figured that, too, but the reality of it has him slumping in his chair.

“Of freakin’ course he does,” he mutters, burying his face into his crossed arms. He feels Kyle pat his shoulder sympathetically. Rhett lifts his head to give him a small, but appreciative smile. “Thank you for telling me. I should’ve known better than to let a random, pretty man steal my heart. Especially at a bar.”

“Woah, wait, he has your  _ heart _ already, dude?”

“Nope,” Rhett replies, not missing a beat. He’s straightening back up just as Link is sliding into the stool next to him.

“Hi, handsome. I’m back, sorry it took so long.” Link grins at Rhett apologetically, before catching the attention of Kyle. “Hey, Kyle… A Moscow Mule, please.”

Kyle flashes Rhett a knowing look before diverting his attention away from the two men.

“So… Did you hook up with someone in the bathroom?” Rhett snaps, unable to contain his annoyance. He can hear Kyle laugh a few feet away. Link’s eyebrows shoot up and he’s shaking his head instantly.

“No… The line to the bathroom was really long,” he says slowly, wagging his thumb towards the general direction of the restrooms. Rhett follows Link’s gesture and sure enough, the line is pretty much never ending.

The blonde huffs and crosses his arms, glaring at Link. The shorter man frowns, “Rhett, what is going on?” Link asks, stare unmoving as he thanks Kyle for the drink.

“Oh, I don’t know, Mr. Regular,” Rhett replies sarcastically. “Maybe because I just found out that you only come here to hook up every night, Link. You were leading me on just to get in my pants. Not cool.”

Rhett is fuming and Link looks taken aback. He stares at Rhett, mouth agape in shock. Rhett tries not to notice Link’s sharp bottom canines. He also tries not to imagine the feeling of them sinking into his skin like some kind of blood starved fangs.

“You’ve got it all… Right. But also wrong. Can we take this outside? Where it’s quieter?” Link nearly pleads and Rhett gives in because he’s in too deep already. He nods and Link smiles slightly before pulling out his wallet, grabbing 3 twenty dollar bills, and handing them to Kyle. “Thanks for the drinks, man. This should cover both of us.”

Before their bartender friend can reply, Link’s hand is around Rhett’s wrist and they’re heading towards the exit. Rhett sighs and lets himself be dragged along, his cognitive skills failing him. “Wow. He’s a player,  _ and _ he’s rich. Typical. I’m a real winner tonight.”

“Rhett,” Link warns, glancing back at him, "Hush." Rhett rolls his eyes and tells Link to walk faster. After weaving through countless dancing bodies, they eventually reach the exit. Rhett hears somebody scoff behind him and he glances over his shoulder. He sees the same bouncer from earlier who tried to hit him up, and he can’t help but smirk a little when the bouncer throws a dirty look towards Link. Link notices the little exchange and stops in his tracks.

“What’s your problem?” Link asks and Rhett feels the need to hold him back before something bad happens. The doorman narrows his eyes and Link must figure out what he’s so angry about because a cocky grin spreads over his face and he crosses his arms over his chest. His stance suddenly becomes intimidating and Rhett’s breath hitches in his chest. “You snooze you lose, brother. He’s mine.”

Before Rhett can even process what just happened, Link is placing his hand on Rhett’s lower back and ushering him to leave. Faintly behind them, Rhett can hear the bouncer throwing a fit and he turns his head just in time to see the man pouting. “I didn’t even snooze!” he cries out, and Rhett and Link laugh as they dash to the other side of the building.

  
  
  
  


Link eventually leads them to an alleyway that separates the club and another building and Rhett is raising an eyebrow. “Is this where you kill me? Turn me into a vampire and leave me to live a horrifying life as a blood sucking monster?”

“Where did you get  _ vampire _ from?” Link asks with a chuckle and Rhett blushes with a shrug, averting his eyes bashfully.

“You have, like, fangs,” he replies, shrugging again. He slicks his hair back when some strands of hair fall into his eyes, the gel he used from earlier caused it to harden and he internally cringes.

“I’m not a vampire, but…” Link pauses and his eyes dart to Rhett’s neck. His tongue peeks out a bit and the taller man squirms under Link’s gaze. “I’m not opposed…”

“Okay!” Rhett exclaims, waving his hands frantically. “You brought me out here to explain yourself. Stop trying to distract me.”

“You brought it up!” Link bites back with no real heat behind it. Rhett watches the man in front of him trying to collect himself and finally, he does what Rhett has been waiting for and starts explaining. “Everything you said was true. I do take home different people almost every night, but you’re different.”

Rhett rolls his eyes. Link had him in the first half, he’s not gonna lie, but right now he just feels like walking away and leaving Link behind. “Oh, for God’s sake, that’s what they all say. ‘You’re different. I’m not like other guys. Blah, blah, blah.’”

Link lets out a defeated sigh, looking up with gloomy ocean eyes. Rhett just wants to drown in them with how he’s feeling right now. Like, actually drown. He waits for Link to respond.

“You don’t understand,” he finally says, and damn, he’s a good actor. Rhett nearly believes his dejected tone and despairing eyes. He continues playing along anyway. He doesn’t want to admit to himself that he actually does believe Link, just a little. 

“Then help me understand, Link. Show me how I’m not like the rest.”

Before Rhett could even finish his sentence, Link is looking up at him with the most hopeful eyes he has ever seen. The sincere smile playing on Link’s lips has Rhett convinced that his feelings are profound.

“Can I give you my number?” Link asks, and Rhett eyes him suspiciously. “I don’t wanna do this here. We’re both intoxicated and I want to prove that it’s not the alcohol talking. For both of us.”

Rhett nods, pulling his phone out. He unlocks it, opening the contacts app and handing his phone to Link.

“I’ve never felt like this about anyone,” Rhett admits quietly, eyes drifting to where Link’s thumbs are typing away on his phone. Link laughs softly.

“That’s what they all say,” he replies with a smirk, passing Rhett’s phone back. Rhett opens his mouth to reply, but Link raises his index finger to shush him. “I’m going to be expecting a text from you within the next 3 days. When I hear from you, that’s when I’ll show you.”

Rhett nods. He has sobered up a little, but he’s still drunk enough that following instructions from Link has heat coiling in his lower stomach. He waits for Link to say something else.

“Go back to your friend now, alright?” Link commands gently. Rhett is about to ask how Link knew he came with a friend, but then he remembers that Link was a bit of a stalker when they first encountered.

“You’re still drunk. How are you getting home?” Rhett asks, eyes hooded slightly. He is suddenly feeling very sleepy.

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll get any Uber or something.” Link takes a hesitant step forward using Rhett’s shoulder as leverage to stand on his tippy toes. He places a tender kiss to Rhett’s cheek and the blonde blushes furiously, beginning to stammer. Link just chuckles. “I’ll talk to you soon, handsome. Don’t forget about me.”

Rhett watches the man turn and walk towards the parking lot, frozen in place until he notices his phone still unlocked in his hand. He peers down at the screen and sees it open to Link’s new contact. The blue heart emoji he added next to his name has Rhett’s heart fluttering. The emoji was almost as blue as the eyes that caught his attention and stole his heart from across the room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on tumblr @ strawberryboyfriends, and on twitter @ mythicalvee


	3. Three

“Rhett, just do it!” Stevie groans from the couch, head thrown back against the cushion. Rhett can tell she’s shooting daggers at the ceiling. “I’m tired of watching you stare at your phone. Text the guy.”

“I am!” Rhett snaps, clearly not doing so at all. It has been four days since he talked to Link. Rhett blames it on the business of work, even though the pet hotel has been quite slow the past few days. He can tell Link time got away from him, something came up, he’s in a heated argument with his dog and she took his phone away. _Something_.

“Hey!”

“ _Ow_!”

Neither Rhett or Stevie really knew what just happened, but Stevie is cupping her jaw in one hand and Rhett’s hand is coincidentally in the position of post-attack.

“You just _hit_ me!” Stevie gasps, rubbing her jaw with a pained expression.

“You… You tried taking my phone!” Rhett fires back, pulling a cheap excuse and knowing it. He stuffs his phone safely into his pocket before holding both hands up in surrender. “I didn’t mean to do that. Really. I’m sorry, I’m just stressing out a little.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Stevie mutters, pushing herself up from her seat on the couch. Rhett hears her mumbling something about peas as she passes by him heading towards the kitchen.

He lets out a sigh before standing up and joining his best friend in the kitchen. He watches Stevie rummage through his freezer and he stiffens, cheeks heating up instantly.

“Oh, my God, Rhett,” she says slowly, clearly in shock. Rhett’s eyes cast to the tiled floor. “So much fucking ice cream! This is like… A problem.”

“No… I just… Like ice cream?” Rhett tries with a bashful shrug. The conversation ends there because Stevie shuts the freezer and glares at Rhett with an almost annoyed look. “What?”

“You don’t have frozen peas in your freezer?” she asks, and Rhett wants to laugh. So he does, and Stevie has smoke coming out of her ears. “What’s so funny?”

“I don’t have frozen peas, Stevie, because that’s not a common thing. It’s like, made up in books and movies.” Rhett leans against the counter, crossing his arms. Stevie takes some deep breaths before taking a backwards step towards the front door.

“I’m leaving,” she says, grabbing her keys from the little clay bowl she made Rhett in middle school. It was meant to be an upside down turtle, with arms, legs, a tail, and a head sticking out of it. It was ugly, but meaningful. “The next time I see you, you better be married to that Leak guy.”

“It’s Link,” Rhett replies with an eye roll, baffled at the improbability of Stevie’s demand. He’s about to reply, but Stevie speaks up again, her voice a sudden earnest tone.

“I’m doing this out of love,” she avows, her eyes manifesting sincerity as she watches Rhett from across the kitchen. “I care about you, and it took me a while to realize that your situation is unhealthy.”

Rhett knows the ice cream in his freezer caused this serious talk, and he wants to argue, to claim that this is his chosen lifestyle, but he doesn’t. She’s right.

“I feel like Link could be your breakthrough,” Stevie continues, nodding empathetically. She shifts on her feet before taking one more step towards the front door. “You’re an amazing guy, Rhett, but you need to get better. You need someone who will ground you and stop you from this potentially detrimental thing you’ve got going on.”

It’s the harsh truth, but her words are spoken gently and kindly. Rhett inhales deeply before nodding in agreement and waving his hand in acknowledgment. “Thank you, Stevie. I’ll… I’ll work on it. I’ll text Link later.”

“Damn right you will!” she shouts, fist pumping the air before opening Rhett’s door. Rhett chuckles at his best friend, loving how she can go from serious to silly in a matter of seconds. “Keep me updated, will ya?”

“Always,” Rhett replies, waving goodbye as Stevie exits his house and shuts the door behind her. Once she’s gone, Rhett’s hands are instantly clammy and his heartbeat is echoing in his ears. He fishes for his phone in his front pocket and cradles it in a shaky hand.

“Come on, man,” Rhett mutters to himself, hovering his thumb over his phone’s home button. He glances at Barbara who’s watching him from her dog bed. “Barbara, take me out,” he says, and she does the confused puppy head tilt. “No, not like that. I want you to grab the baseball bat from the basement and hit me. I cannot do this and that would make my life so much easier right now.”

“ _Brrrf!_ ” Barbara barks, standing up and circling in her dog bed a few times before lying back down, facing away from Rhett. He can only assume she told him to shut up.

“Okay, fine,” Rhett mumbles, making his way towards his bedroom. He walks down the hallway that leads to his room. Hanging from the walls are photos of Rhett with Stevie and Rhett with Barbara. Rhett suddenly understands what Stevie meant when she said Link could help him. Having only two consistent people in his life is damaging, and Rhett has a spark of confidence to finally text Link.

Once Rhett is in his bedroom and Barbara has joined him at the edge of his bed, he plops down onto the mattress and unlocks his phone. Without much hesitation now, he opens the iMessage app and creates a conversation with Link. The blue heart emoji by his name has his ocean blue eyes flooding Rhett’s mind, the waves splashing around his brain making it hard to focus.

**Today 4:36 PM**

_Hi_

_Who is this?_

_Rhett… From the club_

_Oh goodness_

_I thought you had forgot about me_

_I know I’m sorry_

_Um_

_My dog took my phone from me_

Rhett face palmed. That has to be the dumbest thing he has ever said.

  
  


_What?!_

_That’s horrible. What did you do?_

  
  


_I told her no more treats for the day and she got kinda mad_

_I’m joking really I just got a little nervous to text u_

  
  


_That’s okay, handsome._

The blonde flushes, the pet name having the same effect on him through the phone than in person. He felt relieved when he saw Link was typing again because he honestly couldn’t formulate a response.

_When can I see you in person?_

_I meant what I said back at the club… I havent stopped thinking about you, Rhett_

Not falling for this man is going to be hard, Rhett realizes. His heart is racing a mile a minute and he has butterflies in his stomach that he hasn’t felt since elementary school.

_I’m free today_

_I would like to see you today_

He hopes that didn’t sound too desperate. He regrets sending that immediately until Link’s response comes through.

_Thank god_

_I was hoping you would say today._

_Send me your address so I can pick you up_

  
  


_I am perfectly capable of driving myself_

_Send me urs_

_I’d much rather come pick you up, Rhett_

_Come on_

_Alright fine_

_You’re so good at following instructions_

_I’ll see you in 30 minutes_

Does Link realize how sexual that sounds? Rhett contains a groan and shuts off his phone, hoping he can fit in a cold shower in the half hour he’s been given.

  
  
  
  
  


Thankfully, the cold shower was quick and definitely helped Rhett’s _problem_. He realized then that years without being in a relationship with somebody really have changed his poor hormones. He was like… Going through puberty again at age 42.

Rhett stands in his closet with a towel wrapped around his waist. He scans his collection of button down shirts and chooses a plain blue one, one that’s a tight fit and makes his shoulders an inch broader. He pairs the shirt with some black jeans and steps into some checkered Vans. 

He does his usual “night out routine” but spends a little extra time on some details such as taking longer to style his hair. He adds little product and lets his mane free. Some curls fall over his eyes and the rest fall down below his ears. He smooths his beard down to make it less wild looking and sprays his special cologne in more places than one, just to make sure he’s smelling his absolute best. 

He’s about to check the time on his phone before his insufferable doorbell rings throughout the house and okay, Rhett wasn’t entirely expecting Link to come to the door. He was expecting like a quick little _I’m here_ text so he could have time to mentally prepare himself on his walk to Link’s car. It wasn’t until then that Rhett realizes he wasn’t ready to face Link again. His hands begin to sweat and shake and his heart hasn’t beat this fast until Anne asked him to be his Valentine in third grade.

The doorbell rings again and Rhett hears Barbara barking from the living room. He wills himself to finally move, grabbing and shoving all his necessities into his pockets and making his way down the hallway, to the front door. With a shaky inhale, he unlocks and opens the door and is met with the beautiful man that is Link. Link, who is wearing some clear glasses tonight that somehow make his eyes even more blue. He’s wearing black, skintight jeans with a corduroy jacket thrown over a graphic tee, and despite it being simple, Rhett still thinks it’s the hottest outfit he has ever seen. 

“Hi, handsome,” the silver fox greets and Rhett’s weak in the knees. His bright eyes and dashing smile has Rhett automatically writing Shakespearean poetry in his mind. The blonde’s eyes travel to the bouquet of flowers in Link’s hand and he’s melting. He’s a puddle of human on his hardwood floor and Link is just smiling down at him.

It then occurs to Rhett that no, he isn’t a mess on the floor and that he’s still goggling at Link like a fangirl looking through a boy band magazine. He tries to compose his own greeting, even just a smile, but all that comes from his mouth is a jumble of words that neither of them were expecting:

“You look _hot_ ,” Rhett blurts and his face reddens like a goddamn tomato. He’s blushing and Link is chuckling like the freaking prince charming he is. Rhett’s quick to cover his face in shame and starts apologizing. “I didn’t mean to say that, I’m sorry. It’s just…”

“I know, it’s okay,” Link says through a giggle. He thrusts the flowers into Rhett’s chest. “These are for you. You look very hot tonight too, Rhett.”

“Gosh,” Rhett whispers, overwhelmed by the enchanting nature of this man. He takes the flowers from Link and shoots him a warm smile. “Hi, by the way… It’s nice to see you again.”

“Good to see you too,” Link nods, his smile still sparkling in the dimly lit entryway. His blue eyes drift past Rhett and the taller man turns to see what caught his attention. “Who’s this little thing?”

Barbara is standing behind them with her tail wagging at 100 miles per hour. She isn’t barking like she normally does with guests, instead she’s watching Link with curious eyes. Rhett can only assume she’s astonished by Link’s beauty as well.

“That’s Barbara,” Rhett replies, a click of his tongue having her run towards the pair instantly. He watches in amazement at how quick she lets Link pet her. He shuts the door behind him and kneels down level to Barbara, petting behind her ears and under her chin. “She never warms up to people this quick. You should feel honored.”

“She must get that from her Daddy,” Link is quick to say and Rhett wants to be offended, to ask what the hell Link means by that, but he knows exactly what it means. They both know Rhett warmed up to Link pretty damn swift himself.

“You’re not wrong,” Rhett mumbles before stepping into his kitchen. He grabs a glass from the cabinet to substitute a vase and fills it with some water. He gingerly places the flowers into it and sets them on the bar. “We going to your house or what?”

“Oh! Yeah,” Link says, giving Barbara one last pat before glancing at the flowers and grins. “I just wanted to be a little cliché and give you some flowers at your front door, but as it turns out your dog is surprisingly the one winning my heart tonight, sorry ‘bout it.”

“Well, she’s a bitch,” Rhett jokes and corrects himself as soon as he sees Link glaring over the rim of his glasses. “Literally! Literally speaking, she is a girl dog.”

“Uh huh…” Link eyes Rhett with playful suspicion and adjusts his glasses, pushing them back up the bridge of his nose. He stands back up and nods towards the door. “Ready to go, handsome?”

“You talkin’ to me or the dog?” Rhett asks playfully, quirking an eyebrow as he looks at Link. Link just rolls his eyes and grabs the door handle.

“Come on,” he says and Rhett follows him suite. He feels like a schoolgirl, but the only thing missing is a plaid uniform skirt. That gets Rhett to thinking about how maybe he wouldn’t look too bad in a plaid skirt. He’s shaken out of his thoughts when Link clears his throat beside him. “Earth to Rhett.”

“Sorry, I zoned out,” Rhett replies. Then, “How do you feel about plaid skirts?”

“I’d like to see you in one,” Link says casually and Rhett chokes on air, deciding that not even the #1 Handbook to Falling in Love with Boys From the Club could’ve prepared him for Link. The silver fox shoots Rhett a quick wink before jogging to his car, and Rhett has to catch his breath and think about sad, gross things to prevent a very awkward situation. 

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr, @strawberryboyfriends, or twitter, @mythicalvee


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